Dear Santa
by luna-magic-2005
Summary: "There are three stages of man: he believes in Santa Claus; he does not believe in Santa Claus; he is Santa Claus." A three-shot story about a boy who was taught to believe, a man who stopped, and a Daddy who cares. Sesshoumaru's life in stages...
1. Stage One

Standard disclaimer applies. I do not own Inuyasha.

Because I'm in the Christmas spirit, I'm gonna write one more Christmas story. This story will be be a 3-shot story, about the different stages of Sesshoumaru's life, and the one girl who's been a part of every single moment. I hope you enjoy!

...

Dear Santa…

Stage One

By: Luna

…

"_There are three stages of man: he believes in Santa Claus; he does not believe in Santa Claus; he is Santa Claus."_

_- Bob Phillips_

…

Kagome was huddled at her kitchen table, frowning in concentration at the blank sheet of paper before her. The smell of cookies and the sound of her mother's humming filled the air, but not even the familiar could soothe her. Sighing in frustration, she threw down her pencil and crossed her arms with a mulish pout.

Sesshoumaru looked up from the other side, then rolled his eyes at her and went back to his list. Sesshoumaru was her childhood playmate; he was _always_ here with her. She didn't remember a time when he wasn't there with her. He moved into her neighborhood a few months ago, and she had found him outside of his grand home looking a little lost and lonely. Running up to him, she made him play with her, and ever since then they'd been at each other's side.

His parents always seemed to be busy, and Kagome never saw Sesshoumaru with them. If she hadn't been introduced to them one time when she had been playing at his house, she would have continued with her belief that they didn't exist, and that Sesshoumaru lived alone with a house full of people that walked around in those weird black and white uniforms. She didn't understand why all the men walked around in suits, or why the girls walked around in black dresses with white aprons; Sesshoumaru told her that they were uniforms, but if it had been her, she would have chosen something a little bit prettier.

When she told him that, Sesshoumaru confided, telling her that his mother made sure none of the servants were attractive; he was told by his mother about his fathers "wandering eye" but didn't know what that meant. Kagome didn't either, but now every time she saw Taisho-sama she kept an lookout for any weird eyes on his face.

Sesshoumaru was her best friend, and he always would be. She wouldn't let a little thing like a parent with weird eyes stand between them.

She once heard her mother call Sesshoumaru a "Poor little boy," but Kagome didn't understand why. He lived in a big house, had lots of money, and was able to hang out with her every day. What more could he want? Her mother told her that she should be nice to Sesshoumaru, not to bully him, and try to cheer him up every day. At first, Kagome was insulted; she was _not_ a bully. She just liked things to go her way, that was all. Sesshoumaru never seemed to mind…

Sighing again, she rested her chin on the table and blew her pencil towards where Sesshoumaru scribbled. Sitting up straight, she looked at his paper with a scowl. "Sesshou, it's supposed to be a _list_, not a letter. What if Santa doesn't like to read?"

Sesshoumaru hunched over his letter protectively, glaring at her with his pretty golden eyes. "He does too! You always see him reading in pictures!"

"Hmph. What are you writing?" She leaned over trying to see.

He hunched further over his letter. "It's private."

Kagome's jaw dropped. "What? Why can't I see? I'll show you mine!"

"You don't even have anything yet!"

"Do too!" Because she knew Sesshoumaru hated cats, that was the first thing on the top of her list. "See? Now show me!"

"No!"

"You better, or I'm telling your mommy!" Kagome tried to snatch the paper.

"Go ahead! She won't care anyways!" He yanked it out of her reach.

"Now, now," Mrs. Higurashi soothed, running a hand down Sesshoumaru's silky hair before ruffling Kagome's. "Kagome, Sesshoumaru doesn't have to show you if he doesn't want to."

Kagome's jaw dropped. "What? That's not fair! I showed him mine!"

Mrs. Higurashi tugged on a lock of Kagome's hair. "You'll each see what you'll get at Christmas. Once you're done making your Christmas list, give it to me and I'll send it to Santa." Smiling a little, she looked down at Sesshoumaru. "Sesshoumaru-chan, you'll spend Christmas with us, won't you?"

Sesshoumaru's eyes went wide with hope. "Can I? Please?"

"Hmph." Kagome sat back with a pout, doodling on her paper. "Of course you are. You're family, stupid."

Mrs. Higurashi had to turn away, tears pricking her eyes at the joy in Sesshoumaru's eyes at Kagome's words. "That's right," she managed. "You're family. Why don't you ask permission to spend the night with us on Christmas Eve?"

"Oh, I'll be able to!" Sesshoumaru said eagerly. "They're never home, and they don't care what I do. So I can? Really? I can stay the night?"

"Of course, dear." Mrs. Higurashi escaped out of the kitchen, not wanting the children to catch her as she left to cry a little.

As soon as her mother left, Kagome looked up from her paper. "You're really not gonna let me see?"

Sesshoumaru looked down, a blush making his round cheeks go red. "It's a secret."

"Why?" Kagome asked. She was actually a little hurt; why wouldn't Sesshoumaru let her see?

Sesshoumaru pushed the plate full of cookies towards her, his way of silently apologizing. "Because I want to know if he's real."

"Who? Santa?" Kagome snorted. "Of course he's real."

Looking down, Sesshoumaru's eyes were sad, and he had that lonely expression Kagome hated. Why was he lonely when she was right here? "He's never gotten me anything before."

Kagome's eyes went wide in disbelief. "No way! Really?"

Nodding, Sesshoumaru's eyes brooded over his letter. "My presents were always from my parents. The servants also gave me gifts too."

Contemplating that, Kagome asked, "Well, have you ever written him a list?"

Sesshoumaru blinked. "No."

Rolling her eyes, Kagome picked up her pencil, suddenly determined. "Well, that's it, stupid! He never knew what you wanted. C'mon, if we finish we can ask Mom if we can go the playground."

Sesshoumaru studied the bowed head of Kagome as she wrote her list with avengence, love nearly bursting inside of him as he stared at her. He loved Kagome. He loved Mrs. Higurashi, who he secretly thought of as his _real_ mother, because she always smiled and hugged him, let him get dirty and not scold him (most of the time) and baked cookies and made lunch and—he just loved her. He never wanted to be apart from the family that he loved so much.

Kagome's father was an adventurer, and he was rarely around. Kagome never acted like she missed him, but he knew sometimes she did. When he came back from his travels, Sesshoumaru had stayed away thinking that he wouldn't be welcomed during his homecoming, but Kagome had dragged her father to Sesshoumaru's house and demanded why he hadn't come out to play. He stayed with them all day, and it was one of his favorite memories.

Mr. Higurashi was so cool. He was tan, had all these pictures and souvenirs and stories that he would tell them about his travels. He always welcomed Sesshoumaru whenever he came home, and would pull him aside each time so that they could have their "man talk" away from the "lowly females". Sesshoumaru cherished that time as well, and to him Mr. Higurashi was the coolest person ever; he wanted to be just like him when he grew up.

"Done!" Kagome chirped, then looked across the table at her best friend. "Sesshou? Are you done, too?"

"Yes." He answered, nodding solemnly. His heart was in his throat, pounding madly. What if Santa didn't read his letter? What if Kagome was wrong, and Santa never got him anything because Sesshoumaru wasn't worth it?

While Kagome shoved her list at her mother before running outside, Sesshoumaru handed it over with a solemn expression, bowing properly before Mrs. Higurashi. "Ma'am."

She ruffled his hair, making stick up everywhere, and then she hugged him tight, in her famous Mama Hugs that Sesshoumaru craved. "Don't be so proper with me, silly boy. Family isn't so proper with each other."

Sesshoumaru gave her one of her rare, blinding smiles, before running after Kagome.

Smiling after him, Mrs. Higurashi looked down at his paper, her heart constricting a little at the formal letter, and what it was that Sesshoumaru wanted for Christmas.

_Dear Santa,_

_I'm writing you for the first time, and I wanted to apologize for not doing it sooner. What are you doing in the North Pole? Is it cold? I'm sure you stay very warm with your red suit and everything. Santa, I only have one thing I really want, and I hope that you'll like me enough to grant me it._

_Please let me stay with this family forever. Especially Kagome, since I love her very much._

_Please let Mrs. Higurashi be my real mother. She's just like how I read in the books; she's really warm and soft, and she gives me the best kind of hugs. _

_I guess that's two things, so please forgive me for being greedy. Merry Christmas. Mama Higurashi says that we're going to bake cookies for you on Christmas Eve, so I hope you like them. Mine might be a little burnt, because I always burn things, but Kagome's will be worse because she's so bad at cooking. Don't tell her I said that please, it will be our secret. I read that you like milk too; I'll ask Mama Higurashi if we can leave a glass out for you as well._

_Thank you very much._

_Love, Sesshoumaru_

_P.S., Please let Mr. Higurashi come home soon. Sometimes, Mrs. Higurashi looks really sad, and I don't like it when that happens. He's really cool, so please keep him safe, too._


	2. Stage Two

Standard disclaimer applies.

Dear Santa…

Stage Two

By: Luna

…

"_There's a race of men that don't fit in,  
>A race that can't sit still;<br>So they break the hearts of kith and kin,  
>And they roam the world at will.<br>They range the field and rove the flood,  
>And they climb the mountain's crest;<br>Their's is the curse of the gypsy blood,  
>And they don't know how to rest." <em>

― _Robert W. Service_

…

Sesshoumaru sighed a little as he stared out of the large bay windows of the library, staring down at the city of Tokyo. It was almost Christmas, and snow was gently falling from the sky. Though he didn't believe in Santa anymore, he still sent his Christmas list home every year all the same; he would have to remind Kagome to do the same as well before it's too late. The private university both he and Kagome attended sat atop of a hill, and the library had the best view on campus since it allowed one to enjoy a bird's eye view of a portion of Tokyo. It was midafternoon, and he knew he'd probably be there until very late studying and preparing his thesis.

Taisho had paid for Kagome's tuition, as a thank you for being Sesshoumaru's companion for so long. After his parents divorced, his father married again soon after and had another son, whom he called Inuyasha. Sesshoumaru was never home since he was always at Kagome's house, so he never really bothered with his little brother, and even now they were strangers who only knew each other by name and the vague thought that they were related.

Kagome was never close to Inuyasha either; growing up, she had been Sesshoumaru's, and Sesshoumaru had been hers, and that was that.

Now they were in university, and Sesshoumaru's dream of becoming a family man with the woman he loved was slowly starting to fade. Kagome had become just like her father; wanderlust had struck her hard, and now she was studying to be an archaeologist so she could leave Japan and travel the world. Her second major was paleontology, since she told him she didn't want to be tied down to just one kind of study, but everything. He knew she could do it; she would leave the university with two degrees, and have options opened to her from everywhere.

Kagome's dream was to travel. Sesshoumaru's was a lot simpler than that.

He wanted to get a job, become a regular salary man, and get married and have kids. He never wanted to be like his father and mother, who were always gone and didn't care. He didn't want to be his like his father, who was so wrapped up in his new family that he assumed Sesshoumaru would automatically love them as much as he loved them, even though he didn't know either father or his new mother and brother. He dreamt of hearth and home, and a wife that would always be there to welcome him back home with a smile and a kiss, and a child who loved him and would always _always_ know that he loved them and he wouldn't leave.

Everyone always said Sesshoumaru was a boring guy compared to Kagome, and they were right; his only dream was to be normal, while hers was to be anything but.

Sesshoumaru didn't know when they had started to be so different from one another. Even after all these years, they were hardly apart. They went to the same schools, and everyone had laughingly called them a couple. Kagome would either agree with the rumors or deny them, depending on her mood. So when was it? When had she become so different? Or had she always been this way, and Sesshoumaru only just now realized it since Kagome was a woman now, and in university she made friends other than him.

Arms were suddenly thrown over his shoulders from behind, and Kagome hugged him tight. "Sesshoumaru!" She sung his name in his ear. "We've been invited to a party! Toss these books in your dorm room and lets go!"

Sesshoumaru turned his head slightly and looked up at her, his glasses sliding low on his nose from her abrupt impact. "I can't. I have a test tomorrow, and I need to study."

"You're _always_ studying, Sesshou. Come out with me and have fun!" She argued, her pretty face scrunched up into an adorable frown.

"I can't." He said again. Honestly, he didn't want to. He felt awkward when he was with her friends; he didn't fit into that crowd at all.

"C'mon, Kagome, let's leave him alone. He's too cool to hang out with the likes of us." One her friends said, a note of complaint in the guy's voice.

"Shut up, he doesn't think that!" Kagome shot back, glaring at her friend from over her shoulder.

Sesshoumaru knew that others thought that way about him. Despite Kagome's constant presence, he still grew up in a very quiet, very cold, and very strict household. He still had been groomed by his mother; he couldn't help his face from being expressionless. It was always hard to show emotion. Only Kagome understood, and she could read his face even better than her mother, who was the only other person in the world who knew Sesshoumaru so well.

She was fun, spontaneous, loving Kagome. He was cold, dull, and boring Sesshoumaru, who could always be found in the library since he was "too cool" to hang out with others. He'd hang out with Kagome if it was just them, but for the most part he was by himself.

"Are you sure you don't want to come with us?" Kagome asked softly, in a voice that was only meant for him.

He nodded. "Yes. Go out and have fun."

"Sesshoumaru! Sorry I'm so late."

They both turned towards the voice. Minako Ito walked towards them, a perfect example of beauty and elegance. Her black hair was cut short, just a few inches below her jaw line, and her pretty brown eyes always had a soft, kind expression in them. She was from an influential family, but it was a warm one, and she grew up into a beautiful, kind woman.

She's been flirting with him lately, and he knew it was only a matter of time before she asked him out. Or he asked her out. Since he loved Kagome, he never thought it fair to date other women, so he never did. Minako was kind and beautiful; he wondered if maybe he should ask her out anyways and see if it was possible for him to love someone else besides Kagome.

Kagome had a weird look on her face. "Minako? Is she the reason you don't want to come out and have fun with me?"

What could he say? "Yes."

Minako blushed prettily, freezing a little in the process of setting down her books.

Kagome slowly slid her arms away, that weird expression still on her face. "Oh. Well, okay. I didn't know you were… hmm. Anyways, I'll come back later!"

She left with her friends, and Sesshoumaru could only do what he always did, and watch her go.

It was late by the time Kagome came back into the library. The lights were turned down low, and the city stretched below sparkled like someone threw a handful of stars. She threw her arms around his neck again in a quick hug, before she danced away and started to waltz by herself in front of the windows.

There were defining moments in Sesshoumaru's life he would never forget. The very first Christmas he had with Kagome, the year that he became an unofficial member of their family. The day in middle school when he realized that he didn't love Kagome as just a friend. She was the most important person in his life, and when he realized he loved her _that way_, he had gone home and cried for the first time in his life, because that kind of love was the most painful thing that ever happened to him. His love would always be unrequited, and it was the most painful feeling in the world.

Because Kagome was family. She would never love him as anything other than that.

This was another one of those moments; a moment that would be stuck in his mind forever, one that he would never forget for as long as he lived.

"Something good happened tonight, Sesshou." She said dreamily, spinning around with her arms stretched open wide, as if she were trying to hug the world. From behind her at the desk, to Sesshoumaru it looked as if she held all those glittering stars in her hands. "Kouga-kun invited me as an intern on one of his digs. Sesshou, I'm going to the Amazon!"

Kouga, the man who had a certain gleam in his eye whenever he looked at Kagome. Heart in his throat, Sesshoumaru couldn't bring himself to speak, and instead only watched her as she stopped dancing to stare out the windows at the lights beneath them, a steady, determined look in her eyes and a smile on her face.

Looking at her, Sesshoumaru's heart broke, because he_ knew_.

"I'm going to travel the world, Sesshoumaru." She told him quietly, conviction shining in her eyes. "I'm going to leave Japan, and I'm going to travel the world. Isn't that the most amazing thing? Not everyone gets this chance."

Yes, this was one of those defining moments. Because Kagome didn't belong to just him anymore; she belonged to the world. Because she had friends and a life and dreams that didn't include him anymore like they had when they were children. This one of those defining moments, because Sesshoumaru knew he couldn't keep her anymore.

Because Sesshoumaru knew he would have to let her go.


	3. Stage Three

Standard disclaimer applies.

Please enjoy the third and final story of Sesshoumaru's life in stages. I've read it over a dozen times, and I think I don't have any more corrections; if I do, please forgive any errors.

Merry Christmas, and Happy Holidays!

…

Dear Santa…

Stage Three

By: Luna

…

_"There are two ways of getting home, and one of them is to stay there." _

-G.K. Chesterton

…

Sesshoumaru sighed as he put on the apron Rin and Minako decorated for him last year for his thirtieth birthday, knowing that he had to clean up the kitchen a little before Mama Higurashi came over. The house was starting to look a little messy; he and Rin had the tendency to leave their things lying around the house when they got home. His briefcase was still on the sofa from when he threw it there earlier, with his suit jacket tossed over the back of it, and Rin's shoes had been kicked off carelessly before the door, and her backpack was dumped next to them. There were still dishes in the sink, and this morning's box of cereal was still on the counter.

Rin came charging downstairs, half of her hair tied back in a messy pony so that it didn't fall into her face while they were baking. "Are we ready?"

"Hnn," Sesshoumaru stared down at the ingredients with dread.

"Don't worry, Daddy, it will be great!" Rin said, patting him on the back. "You've got Rin to help!"

Sesshoumaru stared at her with a dry expression. "You're only eight. I bet you can't spell half the ingredients."

Rin, cheeky as ever, pointed to the milk. "I know that one."

"Yeah, yeah," Sesshoumaru muttered, pulling out the recipe to study it carefully. He had to follow the directions _exactly_; unlike Mama Higurashi, he couldn't just toss ingredients into a bowl and have it come out perfectly. He gestured absently to Rin. "Rin, go pick up your shoes."

She ran off without another word. When she returned, she stood next to him and beamed at him expectantly. Sesshoumaru frowned down at her. "What?"

"Your turn!" She made shooing gestures with her hands. "Go put your shoes away."

Shaking his head in exasperation at his daughter, Sesshoumaru left the kitchen and started straightening up the den. A soft knock sounded on the door before it opened, and Mama Higurashi stepped in with a smile. "Good afternoon, Sesshoumaru." She said with a smile, toeing off her shoes and slipping on her house slippers. "I don't smell anything baking yet."

"You mean you don't smell anything burning yet," Sesshoumaru replied, deadpanned. "It's okay, you can say it."

To anyone else, his face was rigid, his voice cold, but Mrs. Higurashi merely patted his cheek like a child and smiled. "Never! You're improving every day."

Sesshoumaru hung up all of their jackets, and then followed her into the kitchen. She was pulling out supplies for lunch. She smiled at him when he sat on a barstool across from her. "Have you heard from Kagome lately?"

Sesshoumaru's heart skipped a beat. "No. Last letter received was about a month ago. She was in the Congo… or somewhere. I'm not quite sure."

"Hmm," Mrs. Higurashi hummed, looking a little sad. "I miss that girl. Who knew that she would take after her father so much…?"

Mr. Higurashi had died while Sesshoumaru and Kagome were in university, in an accident up in the Himalayas. Sometimes he wondered if that was what triggered her need for travel; to somehow understand the father that she loved so much, but didn't understand because he was never really there. Sesshoumaru looked at Rin, at her happy expression as she messily spread mayonnaise on a slice of bread.

If it had been him, he would have never been able to leave his child. He wanted to be there for every stage of her life, to watch her grow up and become beautiful and kind like her mother, and wise like her Grandma, and whatever good qualities he possessed, he prayed that he would pass them down to her. Unlike Mr. Higurashi, whom he had admired as a child, he wanted to be there when Rin entered into school – middle school, high school, and university. On her graduation day he wanted to be there like Mrs. Higurashi had been there for him, to congratulate her and tell her how proud he was. How proud he'll _always_ be. He never wanted her to grow up and wonder where he was, or _who_ he was.

Souta grew up with never knowing who his father was. Sesshoumaru had stepped in and acted as role model for his little brother, but he knew Souta still wondered about Mr. Higurashi, and what kind of man he had been. Sesshoumaru didn't think that Souta would ever stop wondering.

Speaking of… "Where is Souta? I thought he'd be coming with you."

Smiling, Mrs. Higurashi shook her head. "He volunteered to help coach the high school's soccer team. I think they might hire him on as a full time teacher, since he's so dedicated. He's been busy with his students, but he said that he'd come by tomorrow for sure. Goodness! Who knew that boy would get hired straight out of university?" Mrs. Higurashi started layering turkey for the sandwiches. "That boy idolizes you, you know. When he was younger, he said he wanted to grow up strong and dedicated, just like his beloved Nii-chan."

Sesshoumaru's expression warmed. "He's grown up into a good man."

They ate lunch in companionable silence, leaving Sesshoumaru too much time to think about Kagome. She was still so full of life, still enjoying travelling and discovering new worlds. She sent him letters, but sometimes when he received them the dates would be from weeks earlier, and by that time he knew that she had probably moved on to a different project, and the letters he sent may not reach her for some time. He still wrote her, every day, but only sent off the ones that didn't say how much he loved and missed her. He often wrote letters that he would never send, but he needed some way to express the feelings that have remained unanswered for so long. They were his outlet; his secret, as well.

There were pictures, dozens of them, all over the walls and intermingled with the family photos. She was always on some sort of project; sometimes she was grinning triumphantly as she held up some sort of fossil, or sometimes the pictures had been taken by others as she was hunched over a mound of dirt, carefully brushing away with a look of intense concentration.

Some pictures had Kouga in it; he wasn't blind, he was aware that they had a relationship. He was also aware that they were no longer together, and he tended to dwell on that longer than he should.

He missed her. He missed her every day. He didn't think about her all the time, since he did have work and it would prove to be a distraction, but sometimes he would look out his office window at night and stare at the glittering lights of Tokyo, and he would remember the way Kagome looked with her eyes lit up with dreams, and her arms all full of stars, and he would wonder…

What would have happened if he never married Minako? What if he had asked her to stay, to be with him? Somehow…

Kagome had always been so full of energy, so full of life. She was always there with him, yet somehow he felt as if she was always dancing just outside of his reach, always one step ahead of him with her dreams and convictions. And somehow… Somehow he knew she wouldn't have chosen him. She had her dreams, and she was going to make sure they came true. He had no right to deny her the opportunity to fulfill them. He had his dreams too – and it didn't include travelling the world. He had his family… It was true only Rin was with him now, but she was all he needed.

Family. His Christmas wish had come true… well, perhaps only half of it; Kagome would indeed stay with him his whole life, just not in the role that he wanted her to.

Under Mama Higurashi's supervision, both he and Rin had three sheets of cookies laid out before them. "Now remember," Mrs. Higurashi was carefully saying, "Put them in for _only_ twelve minutes. When you pull them out and center still looks a little –"

"Wiggly!" Rin chirped in.

"Yes, wiggly," Mrs. Higurashi continued with a laugh. "That doesn't mean that they aren't done! We'd only have to take them out and let them cool. The cookies will firm, but center would stay moist instead of becoming rock hard."

"Ah, yes." Sesshoumaru said with an intense look of concentration in his eyes as he attempted to absorb everything she said. "Perhaps we should only put in one tray at a time…"

"Good idea!" Mrs. Higurashi beamed. "Did you preheat the oven?"

Sesshoumaru scowled. "Why? Don't we just put them in?"

"Ah…" Mrs. Higurashi's smile never wavered. "Let's just preheat the oven first. Here, I'll do it."

Letting her mess with the dials, Sesshoumaru turned to Rin and pushed a sheet of paper and a pencil across the counter towards her. "Rin. Why haven't you written anything to Santa yet? If you hurry, I can overnight it to him today."

Rin beamed at him, not reaching for the paper or pencil. "I don't need anything, Daddy! I have everything I need!"

Sesshoumaru frowned. Of course, he had already bought her Christmas presents, but he wanted to keep up the tradition of writing Christmas lists each year. He was thirty-one, and Mrs. Higurashi still had him write her a list each year. "You don't want anything?"

"I have _you_, Daddy!" Rin chirped. "And we always have fun together. You're much more funner than a toy!"

"Hnn," Sesshoumaru smiled a little and ruffled her hair. "Write something anyways."

"Mama Higurashi, have you written _your_ Christmas list yet?" Sesshoumaru asked the older woman with a raised brow.

She looked surprised. "Me?"

"That's right. You haven't sent off your list to Santa yet, have you?"

"Hmm," Mrs. Higurashi tapped her chin thoughtfully, and then glanced at him from the corner of her eye. "I guess I'd like Kagome to come home. You're always happier when she's here, aren't you?"

Sesshoumaru froze in the process of picking up the paper in front of Rin, making his daughter stare up at him quizzically. Sesshoumaru straightened and looked at his the woman he considered his mother, wondering what she suspected or knew. "What do you mean?"

Her eyes softened. "She's a very lucky woman, to be loved by a man who has so much patience. Not everyone is willing to wait so long in order to let their loved ones fulfill their dreams. I think you are very strong, and I am so very proud of you."

Sesshoumaru's throat felt too tight, and his eyes felt a little hot. He looked away and cleared his throat, noticing that Rin had started scribbling down on the paper. "Thank… thank you. You… I mean, you should know what I…"

She patted his cheek again, smiling gently. "I know, my dear. I love you, too."

Rin's head jerked up suddenly, and her nose twitched. "Do I smell something burning?"

Cursing, Sesshoumaru ran to the oven and opened the door to a cloud of smoke. Coughing, everyone ran to open doors and windows, and it was only after the room cleared did Mrs. Higurashi awkwardly clear her throat. "Well! One down, two more to go!"

Unable to help himself, Sesshoumaru started to laugh.

…

"Hey, Kouga!" Kagome said cheerfully into her phone. "Yeah, I made it back safely! Yeah, whatever, go tell your lady friend I'm safe too. Yeah, I'm gonna go visit him before I go see my mother. Shut up, you idiot, I'm no home wrecker – he's a married man. Whatever! Bye."

Hanging up, she pocketed her old, beat up cell phone and hiked the strap of her ratty knapsack over her shoulder, whistling happily as she walked down the urban jungle that was known as Tokyo. She had a surprise for both Sesshoumaru and her mother; she was offered a job at Tokyo University as a professor, and she had already accepted it. What kind of expression would be on his face when he found out she was there to stay? Happiness, Kagome decided with a grin.

Kagome trooped by a classy café with outside seating in her khaki pants and snug tank top, her hair pulled back into a messy tail and her boots scuffed. Pushing her sunglasses up her nose, she almost walked past the café until a familiar face made her stop and grin.

"Mina!" She crossed her arms over the wrought iron fence that circled the café's outside terrace, grinning broadly at the beautiful woman blinking up at her with a cup of tea in her hands.

"Kagome, is that you?" Minako blinked once in surprise, and then smiled in welcome at the tanned woman. "Wow, you haven't really changed much, have you? You still look like a beautiful archeologist."

"Because I _am_ a beautiful archeologist." She winked. "What are you doing here alone? Where's Sesshoumaru?"

Minako looked confused. "What do you mean? Why would I be with him?"

Eyebrows scrunching together in confusion, Kagome frowned a little as she stared at her old friend. "What are you talking about? He's your husband, isn't he?"

Minako's pretty brown eyes widened minutely, and she studied Kagome with a strange look in her eyes. "Kagome… Sesshoumaru and I divorced over a year ago. Didn't he tell you?"

Kagome stood there frozen, the word _divorce_ echoing in her head. Did he tell her? Maybe. Sometimes on her expeditions letters wouldn't reach her until months after they were sent, and sometimes not at all. The sites all had satellite phones, but Kagome rarely ever used them, and this time she's been gone for about four years, with only a handful of visits in between. Divorce…

All Sesshoumaru ever wanted was a family. Why had he divorced?

Minako was studying Kagome, then smiled and gestured to the seat opposite of hers. "Please, won't you join me for lunch? We can catch up a little before you go see Sesshoumaru."

Kagome joined her, more to find out about the friend she thought she knew everything about than to catch up with Minako. There was nothing wrong with the other woman, Kagome thought, but theirs had always been an awkward friendship, because Minako had become Sesshoumaru's, and Kagome had always thought of Sesshoumaru as hers. Since she always had to repress her feelings around Minako and Sesshoumaru, their relationship never really went past "friends" to being "girl friends". It was better that way, because selfish as she was, she didn't want to hear more than necessary about Sesshoumaru's happiness with another woman.

He had never had the title of 'lover', but he had the title of everything else. He was her home. The first person she called when she came back was Sesshoumaru, even before her mother. He was her most important person, and when she had called home a few years ago while on a site in Egypt, and he informed her that he was getting married, she remembered feeling as if the world had tilted on its axis, and suddenly her beloved friend was in a place that she wouldn't be able to reach. That she didn't have the right to reach anymore.

The day she was told he was getting married, she came face to face with the selfish realization that _she_ was in love with Sesshoumaru, that she didn't want him to marry Mina, but that it was too late to do anything about it. She had her work and she was living her dreams; even knowing of her love for Sesshoumaru, at the time she hadn't been willing to leave and go back to Japan, not at the very start of her career. What would Sesshoumaru have done, she wondered, if she objected on his wedding day? Would he have chosen her instead of Minako?

The sad thing was, she didn't think he would have, and a small part of her would have hoped that he wouldn't.

Sesshoumaru wanted family. When he had gotten married, she knew his dream had come true, and that was the end for him. He did not want to travel, for he never wanted to leave Japan; if she had gone back and won him, she would have been absolutely miserable after a while because she would feel trapped at home and trapped in expectations, and Sesshoumaru would have been miserable as well. She would have been in the exact position as Minako, divorced and eating lunch by herself.

"What happened?" Kagome asked carefully as she vaulted over the fence without thought and sat down.

"You really haven't changed, have you? Still oblivious to the things around you." Minako smiled, ignoring the shocked stares of the other patrons, and rested her chin in her hand as she studied her rival. Kagome was always doing thoughtless things without knowing it; she probably didn't even realize that her marriage had ended because Sesshoumaru couldn't love her the way he loved Kagome.

"Ah," she laughed. "That's true. I guess I should have gone around. But…" Kagome waited, wanting to know.

"Things just didn't work out, I suppose. He's in love with someone else." Minako watched for Kagome's reactions as she calmly picked up her tea and took a small sip.

Kagome's actions were almost predictable. "_What?_ There's no way Sesshoumaru cheated on you! He's just not that kind of guy!"

Minako smiled a little. "I didn't say he cheated on me."

"Um… I think I'm missing something." Kagome studied Mina with a frown, confused at the other woman's calm expression. "You don't… hate him, do you?"

Laughing softly, Mina set down her tea and took a dainty bite out of her scone. "Of course not. I love that poor man to pieces. We just didn't suit, that's all."

Kagome sat there and absorbed, trying to figure out the other woman. "You're still friends with him?"

"Of course. Even if we didn't have Rin, we'd still be friends. I only want Sesshoumaru to be happy."

Kagome vaguely remembered the tiny baby. Sesshoumaru had been so proud, she remembered, when she called him a few weeks after Rin was born and he had told her all about it. Rin was so beautiful, so perfect. Won't she come home and see her? He was positive she'd love Rin just as much as he did. He had even sent her pictures, but Kagome had packed them away, along with Sesshoumaru's letter. She couldn't keep everything he sent her, and most of her things were sent away in storage until she had the time to claim them. She kept all of his letters, and since she didn't want them ruined she always sent them away.

Kagome had gone home six months later, and Rin was indeed beautiful just like her mother, but she tried not to spend a lot of time with the child. She had been another reminder for Kagome that another woman had made his dreams come true, because she hadn't been able to – at the time, hadn't been _willing_ to, because she was too focused on her career. She didn't totally regret it; the years apart allowed them both to grow up, and she felt she would be able to love him even more and to appreciate him even more, because he could love her without condemning her for her choices.

She had sent Rin souvenirs throughout the years from every place that she's been to, but she honestly couldn't say she remembered the tiny baby very much. "Hmm," Kagome murmured, still confused, but feeling sadder as the seconds ticked away. "I missed so much… I feel as if I don't even know him anymore."

"Well, he certainly feels as if he knows you." Minako told her gently. "He keeps your pictures on the wall. Even when we were married, he never took them down. I think he loves you very much."

Of course he does; she never doubted it. She knew that better than anyone; they were family, after all. She still had a picture of him in her wallet; she used to keep it tucked up into hat while she worked in the sun or in the rain, because it was a way of keeping him close to her. It was a picture of them in university, a few days before she left Japan on her first adventure with her ex-lover, Kouga.

They had been standing in front of Sesshoumaru's favorite spot in library; with the bay window at their back, a friend had snapped the picture while Kagome was laughing at a joke she told, and Sesshoumaru was smiling down her. It was the only picture she had of him smiling. She wondered if he ever smiled for Minako like he smiled for her, and wondered if Minako was able to capture the magic his smiles held on film… She was an idiot. There was no point being jealous of a woman who made Sesshoumaru smile; back then, her dreams had been more important. She wondered if he would believe her if she told him how much she loved him, and that she was ready to stay in one place at last. Would he believe her, or would there always be doubt…?

Minako studied Kagome as she brooded over a cup of tea, a little smile on her face. Sesshoumaru seemed like a cold man to outsiders; because he was quiet and didn't say much to people he didn't know. Inside, however, he had such a kind soul, nurtured carefully by the woman Sesshoumaru considered to be his mother.

Both Kagome and Mrs. Higurashi would always be a part of Sesshoumaru's life; Minako had known that when she married him. She also had known that it was pointless to feel as if she was competing against Kagome; in reality, she had never been a contender.

They had been happy at first, she acknowledged with a smile, and Sesshoumaru had loved her. Something was always missing, however. There was no passion between them; Sesshoumaru always felt more like a friend than a lover. When they had Rin, things seemed to be shaping up. Sesshoumaru was so happy, so proud of both herself and of Rin. But…

It hadn't been enough. It wasn't fair to pin their happiness on Rin, so they separated and were happier for it. They were still friends, but sometimes Minako felt guilty for not being able to be what Sesshoumaru needed. If there was something she could do for him, she would do it.

Now Kagome was back, and it seemed as if she was going to stay. If this is what she could do for Sesshoumaru, then she would do it with a smile. "Here." She pulled out a key from her purse and slid it across the table. "This is a key to Sesshoumaru's house. I'm sure he won't mind if you let yourself in."

Kagome picked up the key, surprised. "Why are you giving me this? I mean, I know you're divorced, but if it was me I'd still hoard this key."

She _had_ kept it, but it was more for convenience for when she picked up Rin, not for any lingering feelings of romantic love. She didn't mind giving the key to the one person Sesshoumaru always hoped would own it. "Because, more than anything else in the world, you are Sesshoumaru's most important person. I don't have the right to that key anymore, and I don't necessarily need it for times that I need to pick up Rin."

Kagome tucked the key away in her pocket. "Um, thanks. I'm a little confused, but thanks. I better get going; I plan on seeing my mother after Sesshoumaru, and it's getting late."

Minako waved a hand dismissively. "It's no problem. Besides, Mama Higurashi is at his house right now anyways, so you'll be able to kill two birds with one stone, so to speak."

Blinked, Kagome didn't bother to hide her surprise. "Mama Higurashi?"

Minako shrugged. "It's what he always calls her. I suppose over the years the name kind of stuck, and now Rin calls her Grandma Higurashi. She always comes by the house to visit Sesshoumaru. He's her son, in a way, right?"

"Uh, yeah." Kagome said faintly, feeling as if home was even farther away than before.

"They're very close. Sometimes when she's too busy he takes Rin over to the shrine to play with your brother and Grandpa. I, too, see her occasionally. She's a very strong woman, and I admire her."

Kagome studied Minako, from the elegant pink sheath she wore to the diamonds twinkling subtly in her ears. Minako had always been pretty, kind, and elegant. Kagome used to tell herself that Sesshoumaru complimented the other woman perfectly, because he always seemed so cool and composed, more beautiful and elegant than any other man she knew of.

"I'll see you later, Mina." Kagome said, smiling as she rose.

"Oh, I'm sure I'll see you again." Minako said, rising from her seat to give Kagome a hug. "Take care of Sesshoumaru for me, will you? That man doesn't know how to do anything by himself."

Kagome was still confused, but she smiled anyways and waved goodbye before left, the need to see Sesshoumaru stronger than ever.

She _needed_ to see him. She needed to know that the Sesshoumaru she knew was still there, that he hadn't disappeared to a place where she couldn't reach, and never would. She needed to see the way his eyes always lit up whenever she came home, and needed to feel those special hugs that only he could give, that she had dubbed 'Sesshou's Hug', the one that made her feel warm and loved.

Kagome had lived her life to the fullest, chasing her dreams and never regretting a thing. Sesshoumaru had made his dream come true, and he was living life like he had always wanted. They were both older, wiser, and perhaps would make mistakes as they learned each other all over again, but she was positive that they could get back to what they once were if they tried.

When she arrived at his house, she stared up at the impressive home. The flowers in the front yard had been planted by both her mother and herself, but there was a row of flowers that was new, as well a few other random spots of blossoms, as if someone had planted them there for no reason at all other than they wanted to. The splotchy effect was almost charming, Kagome thought, because despite their over watered appearance, it was obvious that whoever planted them cared for them a great deal.

Kagome opened the gate, and then walked to the front door with her heart beating a mile a minute. For December, it was actually pretty warm; she wondered if that was why the flowers hadn't died yet and there was no snow on the ground, but that didn't stop Sesshoumaru from hanging lights on his house. She knocked on the door at first, but when no one answered she used the key.

Opening the door a crack and peaking in, Kagome opened the door wider when she didn't see anyone. "Hello?"

The slight scent of something burning lingered in the air, and she followed the sound of muffled voices until she reached the kitchen, and stared into the mayhem with a huge smile on her face and relief almost making her cry.

Sesshoumaru stood by the kitchen island next to her mother, wearing slacks and button up shirt and a loose tie underneath a frilly pink apron that had "To Daddy, From Rin. Happy Birthday!" He was frowning down at the crispy cookies on the baking sheet, listening to her mother tell him that they weren't that bad. A little girl – just how old _was_ Rin? – was leaning over on the other side as she sat on a bar stool, flour all over her face, clothes, and hair.

He was so beautiful. Love burst through her, dazzling her, and she couldn't keep quiet anymore. "Things haven't changed at all, have they? You still don't know how to cook."

Three faces whipped around to stare at her, one of curiosity and two of joy.

"Kagome!" Her mother cried, coming around the island to see her, but she didn't hug her daughter just yet; she knew first hugs were reserved for Sesshoumaru.

Mrs. Higurashi watched as Sesshoumaru came around the island, the love in his eyes obvious to everyone but the two people involved, but her breath caught in her throat as his arms went around her daughter tenderly, for there was a look on Kagome's face as she burrowed into Sesshoumaru's chest, and a gentleness in the way she wrapped her arms around his shoulders…

Could it be?

She had always hoped Sesshoumaru and Kagome would marry. When they had grown so different and so apart, she had put that dream aside and welcomed Minako into the family as best as she could. But now they were divorced, and there was a look in her daughter's eyes that had never been there before.

She hugged Kagome tightly, feeling tears prick her eyes. She wanted to hug Sesshoumaru too; if her intuition was right, Kagome was about to make him very happy. Soon, his patience will be rewarded. "We missed you, my dear. It's been too long."

"Who are you?" The little girl asked, pretending she didn't see the frown on her father's face when she asked the rude question.

"Who am I?" Kagome asked, opening her eyes wide and pretending to be greatly shocked. "Who are _you_? Last time I saw you, you looked like a little caterpillar all wrapped up in a pink blanket. I'm Kagome, squirt."

"I'm Rin!" The little girl chirped happily, accepting immediately. She had recognized the face; it was hard not to when her father always kept pictures of Kagome's expeditions posted around the house, and newspaper clippings every time she made a discovery tucked into the scrap book he kept in his room. Rin had never understood her father's pride in Kagome after each discovery, as if every accomplishment was something he should celebrate too. Her Mommy once told her that Daddy loved Kagome very much, and it was natural to be proud of the accomplishments of someone you cared for. Rin had grown up assuming Kagome was already a part of her family; her being here felt just like what it was; a reunion.

Sesshoumaru looked down at Kagome, at her tanned, beautiful face, and couldn't resist reaching out to tug on a lock of silky black hair that escaped the confines of her ponytail. "What are you doing here? Last I heard you were somewhere in… somewhere."

Laughing, Kagome couldn't resist and threw her arms around him again, just like she used to. "I'm back for good, Sesshoumaru!"

With his arms holding her close, it was easy to feel when he tensed up. "For good? You're not leaving anymore?"

To anyone else he would have sounded cold and uncaring; she heard the hope that no one else would have. Was it true? Were the hints that Minako gave her throughout lunch true? Kagome wasn't stupid; on her walk to the house she brooded over what the other woman said, dissected it until the only possible answer was that Minako was trying to hook her up with her ex-husband.

"_He's in love with someone else. You are his most important person."_

"Yes," she whispered, hugging him tighter. "I accepted a position as a professor at TU. Sesshoumaru, I'm really staying. I can't believe I'm saying this, but I'm tired of travelling. I want to come home. Can I, Sesshoumaru?" She asked, whispering. "Can't I come home?"

She felt him tremble and his deep voice whisper in her ear, "Of course you can. Do you really need to ask?"

She wished that she would have been able to his face, but he was holding her too tightly, and she couldn't pull back enough to see. After that it was a blur; catching up, telling stories, giving treats, and making plans for Christmas. Sesshoumaru made up a room for her at his house, so when her mother left with Rin (Minako's condo was near the shrine and she could drop her off on the way home) there were promises all around to meet up tomorrow; the morning of Christmas Eve.

Kagome was sitting on the edge of her bed in the dark after her bath, wondering if Sesshoumaru had gone to bed yet. She was too excited to sleep; jet lag hadn't kicked in yet, and she wanted to see Sesshoumaru's face. She pulled on a long shirt that she usually wore to bed, then a robe and her slippers before silently padding downstairs. The house was dark; Sesshoumaru was probably asleep.

On her way to the kitchen for a glass of milk, she froze at the black silhouette of a man standing in front of the windows in the living room, his form only slightly illuminated by the multi-colored Christmas lights that were wrapped around the Christmas tree. He still wore the clothes from earlier, as if he hadn't even tried to fall asleep. A note was clutched in his hand, only a corner of it bent slightly enough that she read the _Dear Santa…_, written in Rin's girly handwriting.

"Sesshoumaru," she said softly, watching as he turned around and stared at her, completely silent. She moved into his arms with the familiarity of someone who knew she'd always be welcome in them, and hugged him close to her. "I missed you. I missed you so much."

With one hand still clutching the note, he held her back, his free hand coming up to stroke down her hair. "What are you doing up? You can't sleep?"

"No," she murmured against his chest. "There was something that I wanted to tell you. Something that I didn't think could wait."

"Hnn." He rested his chin on top of her hair.

"What were you looking for out there?" She asked, trying to build up her confidence. It would be very sudden, she knew. She hoped he wouldn't mind; even if she left, every time she was back in his arms it felt as the time away had been nothing, and that it wouldn't be that sudden after all.

"Santa," he answered, his cool voice softening a little.

"Santa?" Kagome asked, pulling back to grin up at him teasingly. "I thought you _were_ Santa."

"I'm only his assistant," he answered promptly. His golden eyes, so steady, studied her in the darkness as if he could see into her soul. "I guess I'm starting to believe again."

"Why?"

"Because someone's wish came true," he told her softly, his hand coming up to touch her cheek. "You were missed, Kagome."

Kagome's eyes misted, and she twirled on her heels away from him, her arms spread out wide, staring up at the stars. "Did you know that everywhere I went, there were only two things that were always constant? Success was rare, and excitement passing, especially since it takes hard work to _earn_ that kind of excitement that leads up to a discovery."

Sesshoumaru studied her in the darkness. "It sounds like a hard job."

"It _was_ a hard job." She told him, her eyes tracking the familiar constellations. "But I loved it. I loved the hard work; I loved working in the sun, in the rain, not-so-much in the mud, but in the forests, and in the deserts… every place I've seen has had its own kind of beauty, its own kind of wonder. I feel very privileged for being able to have experienced it."

"You sound like you want to leave already," Sesshoumaru said quietly. "It sounds like you're already gone."

"No," she said softly. She couldn't bear to face him; she was afraid her courage might crumble. "To be honest, I really wanted to come back to Japan. I know I haven't seen everything there is to see, but I feel as if I've seen enough. Because there were only two things that were always constant while I was travelling."

"What were they?" He asked quietly, fingering the paper in his hands.

"The stars," she whispered, and dared to look at him from over her shoulder. "And Sesshou's love for me."

Sesshoumaru froze. His eyes were slightly wide, the expression in them a little panicked.

She turned around to face him, but couldn't make her legs move any closer. "The stars I could see every night. But you…" She lifted a hand and placed it over her heart. "I couldn't see you every day, but I felt as if you were there every moment. Every new site, every accomplishment and victory. And I… I didn't want to just feel it. I wanted it to _see_ it. You've always been by my side, even when we had oceans between us, and I… the reason I came back to Japan…" Spit it _out_, you idiot! "Is because I wanted to come back home. I wanted to come back to _you_, because _you_ are my home. And I… I…!"

"I love you." She blurted out, unable to contain the words. Minako had practically given her permission (not like she really needed it) and she couldn't stop herself anymore now that she was alone with him. "Not like a brother, and not like a friend. I love you, Sesshoumaru. I always have."

Her voice wavered, her nerve running out. "Can you accept me?"

"Kagome…" Sesshoumaru's hand rose up to cover his eyes, as if he was afraid she might see the emotion in them. "Why now?"

"It's never been 'just now'," she told him shakily. "Honestly. When you told me you were marrying Minako, I didn't care she was my friend – I wanted to rip her hair out." She glanced at him from over her shoulder. "Do you remember that night in library? God, ten years have passed since then, but I still remember every detail. Back in college, I asked you to come out with me. You told me no, and it was because you were meeting with Minako."

Kagome walked to the tree, gently touching one of the twinkling lights. "That was the first time I ever felt you move away from me. It felt weird, as if you were moving someplace I couldn't follow. You let someone else claim my time with you; it was like a slap in the face at the time. I guess that was the first time I was able to really look at you, and see you for the man that you were."

"I remember." Sesshoumaru murmured. "It's not likely I could forget. You were standing by the windows and looking out at the world as if you were about to conquer it, and you told me that you were leaving me."

"Yes," she whispered. "Because my ambition was stronger than my heart. Because I couldn't think of you; I could only think of me." She turned to look at him, tears in her eyes. "God, Sesshoumaru. How could you ever love someone as selfish as me?"

He came to her then, and his hand rose to gently touch her cheek. "You were the first person to ever love me." He told her solemnly. "When I was a child, no one would play with me. My parents didn't care about me, and the servants held only pity. You were such a brat," he murmured. "You dragged me away whether I wanted to go or not, and told me if I didn't play with you you'd beat me up."

"You were such a wimp – easily letting a little girl threaten you like that!" Kagome reprimanded, laughing a little.

"I went because I was lonely," he told her. "And no one else cared about me. You were my first friend. My first everything. I remember when we were kids, and you told me there wasn't a person in the world that you loved more than me. You said that I was the only person you were never able to make cry, so that meant that I would have to stick with you for the rest of your life so that you could prove to your mother that you weren't a bully."

Sesshoumaru smiled a little, his face soft with memory. "Those words… touched me. Even then. Nobody had ever told me that they wanted me before, not even as something so simple as being a friend. You made me believe in Santa, when I never believed before. You made me believe in _myself_, Kagome. You've helped shape me into the man I am today."

Kagome couldn't speak; her throat was too tight to even breathe, let alone speak.

"Then you went one step further. You didn't make me just a friend; you made me your family. You introduced me to your mother, and I love her more than words can say. You gave me a family, Kagome, and that's such a precious thing. How could I not love you?"

Kagome's throat was tight. Did he mean _only_ as family…? "Mom told me I wasn't allowed to bully you. You didn't tattle on me, did you? She always thought I was too mean to you."

"Of course not, and you _were_ mean. You made the neighborhood kids terrified of your wrath." He huffed. "I didn't even have to tell your mother. She knew she raised a little terror."

"What_ever_!"

Kagome turned away, facing the stars again. _Face him!_ She shouldn't tell him without facing him. She had to look him in the eyes as she confessed her love again. This time, he had _better_ accept it; she didn't want to resort to violence.

Turning around, Kagome stomped up to him, grabbing a fistful of his shirt and yanking him down to her eye level. She gave him her most menacing glare. "Listen up, Sesshoumaru! You better love me, or I'll beat you up!"

Sesshoumaru's face reminded her of a deer caught in the headlights, and she couldn't help but snort out a laugh. Sesshoumaru scowled down at her. "Don't laugh. It's not funny."

"Your _face_ is funny." She said, laughing again. When his hands clamped down on either side of her face and she was brought on her tiptoes to meet a very abrupt, very steamy kiss, she stopped laughing, and said tiptoes curled and she melted into his arms. Home… yes, he was home.

He pulled back, his breathing a little heavy, to stare into her eyes. "This is my kind of love for you, Kagome. It's how it's always been. Are you willing to accept that?"

Was this really happening…? The Kagome he loved, that had always danced away just out of his reach…

"Stupid," she whispered, framing his face with her hands. "You've always been so stupid. Of course I am!"

A single piece of paper had fluttered to the floor during Sesshoumaru's passionate embrace, the letter having landed underneath the Christmas tree like a present, its words illuminated by the multi-colored lights that had been placed with care upon the tree.

_Dear Santa,_

_I already have everything I want, so please don't bother getting me anything. Instead, please get something for my Daddy._

_Please let Kagome come home in time for Christmas. Daddy loves her very much, and I know deep inside that she must love him too, because Daddy's the best in the world, and doesn't everyone love him as much as I do?_

_We made cookies today. They're a little burnt, but that's okay, because Daddy burns everything, but they still taste pretty good. Even if you don't like them, please eat them anyways, so you don't hurt his feelings. I'll put some milk out tomorrow night when Mommy comes to spend Christmas with us, so you can have something to drink with your cookies; sometimes they're easier to swallow that way, but don't tell Daddy I said so._

_It will be our secret._

_Love, Rin_

_P.S., I changed my mind. Can I have a puppy for Christmas? They're so cute and fluffy…_


End file.
